5. Notes from the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center

This chapter presents the author's field notes from the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. The center was built as mitigation for the environmental harm caused by the hydroelectric dam when the dam was relicensed in 1989. It was a unique idea, to mitigate environmental damage with environmental education by building a world-class field campus. The idea was supported by the National Park Service, the Forest Service, local tribes, the North Cascades Conservation Council, and the city of Seattle, which owns the hydroelectric project. The chapter then focuses on Diablo dam. The author's residency there was termed a “creative residency,” and was scheduled to last a month. During his residency, the author was able to spot a lot of birds, including white-winged scoters.